I don’t remember when I heard it for the first time. I know it was only a few weeks after the 6th January 2013. I know that once I heard it, then every time I went into Dylan’s room, drawn to look out the window that faced west, it was there.

It got clearer and more ‘solid’ as it became more defined in my consciousness: I would look to the west, to the setting sun coast and I would hear:

‘Go West Mum, Go West’

I had no direction, no desires, and no dreams, nothing I needed or wanted to do – any and all of that had gone. So when I started hearing ‘Go West’, I  started considering it. Why not? There was nothing to lose.

The West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is known for its rugged beauty, sand flies, sunsets and strong people whose days are dictated by the weather. The weather has long since been the undisputed ruler on the coast and those not hardy enough to handle it get spat out pretty quickly.

I could think of no reason not to go; when I did consider going I could feel a place that could help me assimilate my new reality; my new unwanted norm. A place where I could stand on a stony beach head on into a raging westerly and have the sea spray mix with my tears while the wind did its best to blow the pain out of me.

A place as rugged as my emotions: Raw, Hard, Real.

Extract from Ride Peace … through Connection with Self- Spirit- Nature – page 40 – chapter title Trip One